Chapter 1:
The horizon was awash with smoke, buildings smoldered with the remnants of laser fire as the invading armada rained down luminescent death. Roderick watched from the rooftop of one of the last remaining buildings, looking down at the horror plastered on the black faces below.. His armor gleamed in the setting sun, it’s red and black accents glistening in the waning light. His city was under siege by an invading force from beyond the stars. He leapt into the air slicing through one of the ships with his bare hands. His armor turned him to a living super powered bullet, his hands tore through the extra-terrestrial metal with such ease that he had to acknowledge that this too was a dream.
However even in dreams he was still fighting for his father’s , a place where people of color could be safe from persecution, safe from annihilation. This mission he’d be tasked with belonged to his father and it was now his. The fire from heaven now focused on bombarding him with abandon. The building he had landed on was now a pile of ash. The beams became a focused drill pouring on a deluge of destruction. The light was blinding and he attempted to contain it with his hands. “Better they focus on me than my people.” he thought. Looking past the beam he sneered at the pale almost translucent ships of the invaders. Then he noticed something beyond them, just a spec at first, but it was barreling through the upper atmosphere like a meteor struggling to make landfall. “What is that?” He thought to himself as the light finally overtook his vision and blinded him.
For as long as Roderick Parker could remember his father Jeremiah was his hero. A scientist, writer and inventor, he was the perfect role model where so many black boys had none. From their weekend marathons of Star Trek to discussing Einstein's theory of relativity, they were not only father and son, but the best of friends. Which is why when Jeremiah told him about the new project he’d received a grant for, Roderick jumped at the chance to assist his father. What fascinated him more than the possibility of instantaneous travel that the mechanism known as the “Fourth Wall” provided was the fact that he would be passing through a completely different reality to do it. This was truly the stuff of science fiction and Roderick Parker was sitting on its threshold. As they sat down for dinner he was so giddy he could hardly finish his food. His parents Jeremiah and Anita, however looked more concerned than anything. While things in their city had been relatively, quiet across the country, black men like Jeremiah and Roderick were being murdered on camera by law enforcement. This very present reality had plagued Jeremiah’s mind like a swarm of locusts, eating at him with the voracity of a starving piranha. What good was stepping across space if those here were still dying for crossing the street? He felt he had to do something, he owed it to his wonderful wife who tried as she might as a lawyer, was unable to tell give closure to the families of the slain who had sought justice. And his son who one day would grow up, God willing, to be a man who might come into contact with those forces that wish to destroy him so utterly.
“Where 18 year old Shamiek Johnson was pronounced dead after his confrontation with the police.” Anita let out a heavy sigh as she cast a gaze over her teenage son. Roderick would be in his first year of college by next month, he was the same age as Shamiek Johnson and if not for the grace of God and a little luck, would’ve been him. After dinner Anita went about prepping for her day at the law office, leaving her husband and son alone in the dining room.
“So when’s the inaugural test run?” Roderick asked giddily.
“Should be in a few days.” Jeremiah eyed him suspiciously. “You know you can’t be there for it, right?”
“Aw why not?”
“Because I’m your father and I said so.” Jeremiah got up from the table. “I’ve never let you be apart of an experiment I thought was too risky.”
“But…
“Listen, the chances of your mother and I losing you outside of the laboratory is higher than ever. I’ll be damned if I put you in harm's way on my watch.” Jeremiah said with finality.
“Dad, look it's not that serious…”
“Boy I have never laid hands on you a day in your life, so don't make me start.”
Roderick looked at his father incredulously. “May I be excused...sir?”
@Booksnrain @Yusuke @Turk @Prynce @Jayne @Coco
It's a draft for those who care to read.
The horizon was awash with smoke, buildings smoldered with the remnants of laser fire as the invading armada rained down luminescent death. Roderick watched from the rooftop of one of the last remaining buildings, looking down at the horror plastered on the black faces below.. His armor gleamed in the setting sun, it’s red and black accents glistening in the waning light. His city was under siege by an invading force from beyond the stars. He leapt into the air slicing through one of the ships with his bare hands. His armor turned him to a living super powered bullet, his hands tore through the extra-terrestrial metal with such ease that he had to acknowledge that this too was a dream.
However even in dreams he was still fighting for his father’s , a place where people of color could be safe from persecution, safe from annihilation. This mission he’d be tasked with belonged to his father and it was now his. The fire from heaven now focused on bombarding him with abandon. The building he had landed on was now a pile of ash. The beams became a focused drill pouring on a deluge of destruction. The light was blinding and he attempted to contain it with his hands. “Better they focus on me than my people.” he thought. Looking past the beam he sneered at the pale almost translucent ships of the invaders. Then he noticed something beyond them, just a spec at first, but it was barreling through the upper atmosphere like a meteor struggling to make landfall. “What is that?” He thought to himself as the light finally overtook his vision and blinded him.
For as long as Roderick Parker could remember his father Jeremiah was his hero. A scientist, writer and inventor, he was the perfect role model where so many black boys had none. From their weekend marathons of Star Trek to discussing Einstein's theory of relativity, they were not only father and son, but the best of friends. Which is why when Jeremiah told him about the new project he’d received a grant for, Roderick jumped at the chance to assist his father. What fascinated him more than the possibility of instantaneous travel that the mechanism known as the “Fourth Wall” provided was the fact that he would be passing through a completely different reality to do it. This was truly the stuff of science fiction and Roderick Parker was sitting on its threshold. As they sat down for dinner he was so giddy he could hardly finish his food. His parents Jeremiah and Anita, however looked more concerned than anything. While things in their city had been relatively, quiet across the country, black men like Jeremiah and Roderick were being murdered on camera by law enforcement. This very present reality had plagued Jeremiah’s mind like a swarm of locusts, eating at him with the voracity of a starving piranha. What good was stepping across space if those here were still dying for crossing the street? He felt he had to do something, he owed it to his wonderful wife who tried as she might as a lawyer, was unable to tell give closure to the families of the slain who had sought justice. And his son who one day would grow up, God willing, to be a man who might come into contact with those forces that wish to destroy him so utterly.
“Where 18 year old Shamiek Johnson was pronounced dead after his confrontation with the police.” Anita let out a heavy sigh as she cast a gaze over her teenage son. Roderick would be in his first year of college by next month, he was the same age as Shamiek Johnson and if not for the grace of God and a little luck, would’ve been him. After dinner Anita went about prepping for her day at the law office, leaving her husband and son alone in the dining room.
“So when’s the inaugural test run?” Roderick asked giddily.
“Should be in a few days.” Jeremiah eyed him suspiciously. “You know you can’t be there for it, right?”
“Aw why not?”
“Because I’m your father and I said so.” Jeremiah got up from the table. “I’ve never let you be apart of an experiment I thought was too risky.”
“But…
“Listen, the chances of your mother and I losing you outside of the laboratory is higher than ever. I’ll be damned if I put you in harm's way on my watch.” Jeremiah said with finality.
“Dad, look it's not that serious…”
“Boy I have never laid hands on you a day in your life, so don't make me start.”
Roderick looked at his father incredulously. “May I be excused...sir?”
@Booksnrain @Yusuke @Turk @Prynce @Jayne @Coco
It's a draft for those who care to read.
I like it. What's the book about though?
sounds wild
first step of editing is to do the second thing you said